The concept of “Wind Management” for an outdoor heating environment is a critical element of design.
Empirical data charts used in design take into consideration the element of sustained wind velocity. This means that required BTU’s per square foot are dependent upon a given outdoor temperature AND sustained wind velocity. More BTU’s per square foot are required for outdoor heat as the temperature drops and as the sustained wind velocity increases. The obvious reason for this is that lower surrounding temperatures and higher sustained wind velocities remove heat from people and objects at a faster rate, so this lost heat must be replaced.
So what does this mean?
As the wind increases, more BTU's are taken from your body and you feel colder. If an infrared heater replaces that same amount of BTU's you are loosing, you feel comfortable.
Wind management systems bring more control to outdoor patio heating than a heater alone by allowing the owner to variably control the area in response to changing weather, and therefore should be considered when extending the use of your patio to the colder months. |
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